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Gamal as-Sigini
Gamal as-Sigini (1917–1977) designed the distinctive gold medal of Egypt’s State Prize of Merit, probably in connection with the establishment of the award in 1958. As-Sigini was one of Egypt’s leading sculptors and medalist and a central figure in the development of modern Egyptian sculpture. In 2000, it was awarded to Heshmat. Art historian Nadine Nour el Din points to an early encounter between the two which is documented in a photograph: “In one of his earliest group exhibitions, he [Heshmat] showed alongside seminal figures such as Ragheb Ayad, Gamal El-Sagini, Abdel Hadi El-Gazzar and Saad Kamel.”